Of Friendship and Ignorance
by WritingInSecret
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have always been best friends, until high school hits. Annabeth discovers she is popular, leaving Percy behind and letting their friendship fade. When Percy discovers he has terminal cancer, he sets out to get everything he's ever wanted in life, which includes Annabeth. Will he be able to rekindle their friendship before it's too late? Full summary inside, AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**Percy and Annabeth have been best friends ever since they were seven years old. However, as they enter high school, Annabeth discovers that she is suddenly popular, leaving Percy behind in the dust and causing their once solid friendship to slowly fade away. The summer before their senior year, Percy discovers that he has terminal cancer with only a year to live. With time running out, Percy sets out to fulfill every one of his wishes in life, which includes getting Annabeth back as his friend, and hopefully, to be more than just a friend. But here's the catch: Percy doesn't want anybody to know that he is dying. He pursues Annabeth in the hope that they can become friends again before he dies, but she only sees him as a distraction and a nuisance. Will Annabeth be able to realize that all Percy wants to do is become friends again, or will she damage their relationship beyond repair? More importantly, will the two friends be able to find each other once again before it's too late?**_

* * *

**Montauk Beach, New York**

The cool breeze blew along the shore as a seven-year-old Percy Jackson gazed out on the water, soaking up the sight. Even at a young age, Percy had developed a deep appreciation for the water, and always begged his mother to make the nearly two-hour drive. Although the cool breeze that rippled the water caused the young boy to shiver, he still strode into the water with a confidence that few children his age possessed among the water. His teachers had always said that it was one of his "special talents", but Percy knew the real reason behind it. His father, who had been lost at sea when Percy was just a boy, had been a force to reckon with when on the water. According to his mom, Percy looked exactly like his dad and inherited many of his traits, something he was extremely proud of.

Percy gulped down his lunch as quickly as possible, not caring that his mother scolded him. With this being the last week before he started the second grade, he just wanted to enjoy being near the water for as long as he could. However, it seemed as if his mom had other plans. Just as Percy was about to dive into the water, he heard his name being called. Turning around, he noticed his mom walking towards him, along with a man and a blonde girl who looked to be about his age. Tapping his foot impatiently, Percy waited for them to reach him, realizing that this When they finally reached him, he hoped, to himself, that this encounter would be short, so that he would be able to go back to playing in the water.

"Percy, this is Frederick Chase and his daughter, Annabeth," Percy's mom gestured to the blonde man and girl. "Mr. Chase is an old friend of mine, and Annabeth is your age. We ran into each other, and thought it would be a good idea for you to keep each other company."

Percy hadn't really been paying attention to anything his mom said (he had been struggling with his attention span more and more lately), until he heard her say that he and the blonde girl would have to play together. This did not sit well with Percy. For all his life, he had always flown solo at the beach, since his mom preferred to lie down and read (something that Percy had trouble doing, even at seven). But, he knew that his mom would be disappointed if he was mean to the new girl, and he didn't act like a "gentleman", which she had been trying to teach him to be more like.

So, swallowing his dislike of the situation he had been forced into, he stuck out his head to the girl, he said, "I'm Percy."

The blonde girl studied his outstretched hand for a second, as if deciding whether or not she should shake it, then reached out her hand into his own, stating, "Annabeth."

Percy took this as an opportunity to get a good look at her, since he hadn't really been paying attention earlier. She had curly blonde hair that tumbled past her shoulders, tan skin, startling gray eyes, and, to his dismay, was taller than him. Noticing this, he pouted, because most of the kids his age, even the girls were taller than him. Percy didn't see how this was fair, but his mom kept assuring him that his dad was tall, so whenever he started _really_ growing, he would grow a TON and be taller than most other kids. Percy couldn't see this happening, because he had pretty much always been one of the shorter kids in his grade.

The girl, Annabeth, studied him, and noticing his pouty face, retorted, "What? Upset that you're not as tall as I am?"

Percy, who was extremely upset, tried to shrug his shoulders as if it didn't matter. "It's just that, well, everyone I know, even the girls, are taller than me. I just wanna be taller than _somebody_," he said sadly, looking back at the vast ocean before them.

Annabeth, noticing Percy's discouragement, tried to cheer him up. "You know, it's just because you're a boy and I'm a girl."

This made no sense to Percy. "Huh? What does being a boy have to do with me being shorter than you? Dads are ALWAYS taller than moms."

Annabeth sighed at Percy's logic. "When we're younger, girls are taller than boys. I read somewhere that it's because we start growing really fast earlier than boys, which is why we get to be taller. But when boys start growing, they get to grow even longer than girls, and they keep on getting bigger even when girls stop growing. That's how men end up taller than women most of the time," she replied smartly.

Percy's brow furrowed. "I still don't get it," he complained. "And this is boring. Can't we go play in the water now?"

Annabeth sighed, apparently disappointed by Percy's lack of knowledge or interest in understanding things. "I guess so, but Percy, if you want to do good in school, you can't just ignore things you don't get. Running to the water won't solve your problems, it'll just make you a…a Seaweed Brain!"

Percy, confused at why Annabeth wanted to do good in school and not wanting to be outdone with an insult, replied back smartly, "Well, just working and not playing at all can make people like you, I don't know, a Wise Girl!"

With that, Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand and dragged her into the awaiting water, not being able to bear being away from it one second more. When she wasn't trying to bore him with useless facts, Percy noticed, Annabeth was actually really fun to play with and he liked having her around. From then on, he forget about being alone in the water, and instead enjoyed having Annabeth by his side. Together, they made sandcastles, waded in the water, and swam around for the entire afternoon while they parents watched nearby and chatted with one another.

Finally, the sun began to set along the horizon, and it was time for Annabeth to leave. When her dad stood up and called out, "Annabeth! Grab your stuff,' she turned to her new friend.

"Guess that means I'm leaving now," she told Percy regretfully. "I wish I could stay and play longer, but we're moving into a new house tomorrow, and Daddy wants me to get a good night's sleep."

Percy gazed at her intently, not wanting to forget what his first real friend looked like, even if he had just met her today. "I guess so. I wish that we could stay and play longer together."

With that, Frederick Chase called out once again to his daughter, this time yelling, "Come on, Annabeth, it's time to leave! We've got a big day tomorrow, so say bye to your friend!"

Annabeth turned back to Percy, flashed him quick smile, and told him, "See ya, Seaweed Brain," before she ran over to her dad.

It took Percy a few seconds to realize that she had called him something other than his name. When he realized this, Annabeth and her dad had already begun to leave, and were almost off the beach. Seeing this, Percy cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled as loud as he could, "Bye Wise Girl!"

Hearing this, Annabeth gripped her father's hand even tighter and turned to look back at the rolling waves, and the small boy standing within them. As she got buckled into her seat, smiled, knowing that this would be a day that she would never, ever forget.

* * *

Later, after Percy and his mom had returned to their cabin and his mom tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight, he said to her, "I'm glad that Mr. Chase and Annabeth came to the beach today."

Smiling quietly, Sally nodded her assent to her young son before turning and leaving the room. And Percy drifted to sleep still thinking about his new friend Annabeth and the fun they had on the beach, his smile staying with him until he woke up the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Percy and his mom made the long (in his opinion) drive back to their apartment in Manhattan. Despite her son's constant pleas to remain on the beach, Sally Jackson had successfully managed to pack all of their belongings as well as her overactive son into their small car, and they set off. As the car pulled the two of them further and further away from paradise, Percy could only stare out the window mournfully as the endless ocean grew more and more distant, until he could no longer see it, no matter how much he squinted. With a sigh, the young boy turned his attention back to the car, and already his mind was on their next trip.

"Mom, when can we go back again?" he asked, gazing innocently up at his mother with green eyes identical to his father's.

Sally glanced up at her young son through the rearview mirror, mentally sighing at how much he looked like his father. And when he asked about the beach, she was reminded of earlier days spent with Percy's father at the very same beach, and his love for the water.

She managed a small smile, but kept her eyes on the road as she replied, "I don't know, baby. With you starting school next week, it's going to be pretty hard to find the time to get back up here. But we'll see. Maybe if you're extra good this year we might find the time to come back."

This brought a smile to Percy's face, and it warmed Sally's heart to see such a simple thing bring so much joy to her son. If only she, too, could be transported to simpler times, when all that mattered was when they would get to go to the beach next. 'It won't be like this for long, though' she told herself. Soon Percy will be older, and he'll have so much on his mind that visiting Montauk will be the last thing on his mind. But she told herself to not think of Percy getting older, of him becoming a man and graduating and eventually leaving her all alone. She knew that he would never mean to hurt her (he was too much of a momma's boy to do so), but it wouldn't make his leaving any easier. Sally knew that there would come a time when one day another woman would need him, even more than she did now, and she would love him and care for him as much as she did. But, until that day came, Percy was all hers.

* * *

Two hours was a long drive with someone who had an attention span the size of Percy's in the back seat. After the phrase 'Are we there yet?' had been uttered several hundred times, the Jacksons finally returned to their apartment. Percy, who couldn't stand sitting still in the car for any longer, immediately threw open the door and ran to the building. Sally, taking her time as she unloaded everything from their car, noticed a moving truck across the street, right in front of the house which their old neighbors had recently put up for sale. Her curiosity peaked, she gazed across the road, trying to catch a glimpse of who their new neighbors would be. Seeing no one, she walked over to where Percy was standing impatiently, and together they made their journey up the stairs to their apartment.

After putting all of their things from the beach away, Sally made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, adding blue food coloring to them (an inside story between her and Percy). As they cooked in the oven, Percy, as if summoned by a sixth sense, wandered into the kitchen and sat down, waiting for the small packages of deliciousness to finish. When the timer finally went off, Sally pulled them out of the oven so they could cool, and swatted her son's small hand as it reached out in the hopes of snagging a cookie.

"No, Percy," she said gently. "We have some new neighbors, and I made these for them. You can have some another time."

Percy pouted. Not only did they have to leave the beach, his favorite place in the entire world, but he couldn't have any of his mom's blue cookies. This was turning out to be a terrible day. And, to make matters worse, his mom decided that the two of them should go over to welcome the new people across the street.

Pulling on his jacket and shoes, Percy took his mother's hand as they crossed the street, making sure to look both ways before the crossed, just as she had taught him. When they reached the house and his mom knocked on the door, Percy could tell that someone had indeed moved in. There were boxes everywhere, and the place reminded him of his room before his mom forced him to clean it.

A few seconds later, a familiar tall, blonde man came to the door, and smiled at the two of them.

"Hello Sally, long time no see, huh? And Percy, my boy, do you remember me?" the man said warmly.

Percy gazed up at the man, trying to remember where he had seen him before. Suddenly, it dawned on him; this was Annabeth's dad. And if this was Annabeth's dad, then that had to mean…

"PERCY!" a joyful cry interrupted Percy's train of thought. He looked behind the blonde man, and saw Annabeth running towards them. Grinning widely, he ran over to her and gave her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, wondering what on earth she was doing in a house that someone had just bought.

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' We just moved here, Seaweed Brain. The real question is, what are YOU doing here?' Annabeth looked at her, her gray eyes shining with happiness and knowledge.

Percy, taking a moment to comprehend what she had just said, replied, "Oh, uh, me and my mom live in the apartment building across the street. She made some cookies for our new neighbors and made me come with her, so yeah, here I am."

Annabeth laughed, and Percy was happy that he and Annabeth now lived so close to each other. It would be nice to have a friend at school, and someone who could help him with his homework.

"Did you just say that your mom made cookies?" Annabeth asked, and Percy's stomach rumbled, even though they had just eaten a few hours ago.

"Yeah, and they're still warm, so the chocolate chips are still gooey," he replied mournfully, thinking of the lost deliciousness that Annabeth would get to enjoy.

"What's with the long face?" Annabeth asked, noticing Percy's dejected look at the mention of the cookies.

With a sigh, Percy replied, "We brought the cookies for you and your dad and there's none left at home for me. And I love my mom's cookies."

Annabeth just laughed, and Percy was upset. How dare she laugh at him not being able to eat cookies! _She_ was the one who got them, _she_ didn't have to watch her friend eat them right in front of her.

"Oh Seaweed Brain, you don't think I'll let you have some? Of course I will! What are friends for?" Annabeth told him.

Percy smiled softly, glad once again that Annabeth was his friend. He was so lucky that Annabeth had moved here, and he knew that they were going to friends forever.

"Thanks, Wise Girl," he said, genuinely thankful to Annabeth.

With a nod in return, Annabeth turned around and motioned for Percy to follow her. And together, the two of them ran down the hall, in search of blue cookies.


End file.
